Till one has the conviction
that he is an individual separate from the world and world existed prior to
him, and he is born in this world afterwards, he will not be able to cross the
threshold of duality (illusion), which he experiences as reality. If accepts the duality [illusion or mind or
waking] as reality he will never be able to grasp the ultimate truth or Brahman.
The duality is reality only on
the standpoint of false self. There is a
need to reduce mentally the whole experience of diversity [man+ universe] into
mind and mind into spirit ( soul or consciousness) in order to realize the non-dual
truth. Consciousness itself is ultimate
truth or Brahman.
Seeker must first know what is
before him. If he cannot know that, what else can he know or understand? If he
gives up the external world in his inquiry, he cannot get the whole truth.
One cannot know the truth until
one knows the stuff from which the mind is created. The goal of pursuit of
truth is to realize the fact that, the true self is not physical but it is the
formless soul or spirit or consciousness
Many people are struck with awe
or reverence at the outer indications of renunciation, and thus blindly accept
a man to be a Gnani. The two have no connection. Because he has no wife, no
family, and no possessions" they think man who has merely repressed these
desires as though these things had anything to do with wisdom he is mere
religious man. People are quite incompetent to judge who is a Gnani between god
men, intellectuals, and yogis. A Gnani is neither a god men, nor yogi, nor swami, nor
intellectual.
The man who speaks about god,
scriptures and religion is not a Gnani. A yogi who speaks about yoga is not a
Gnani. A God man who indulges in miracle is not a Gnani. An intellectual who
argues on his own speculated theories is not a Gnani. A Gnani is the one who
guides people towards the source of the mind (physical existence) is real
Gnani. A Gnani never claims himself a teacher nor does he accept any one as
disciple.
The first step is of knowing
“Self" is not physical but it is formless spirit. The second is to know the spirit is ultimate
truth or Brahman." Then alone he realizes the ultimate truth or Brahman . knowing the truth of the whole universe is wisdom, i.e. the
whole truth.
“Soul” or consciousness as “Self
“is the key that opens the door of ultimate truth or Brahman. This understanding is
certainly necessary at the first stage, when the mind is wandering. At the end
the mind gets stilled and knows its formless essence and becomes one with it.
Then there is no witness nor witnessed everything is one and the whole.
The formula "What is
‘I’?" presupposes the existence of an ‘I’. But this is only an assumption.
Before proceeding to act on such a formula one ought first to inquire whether
there is such a thing as an ‘I’.
Those who have been baffled by
unsuccessful inquiry, reading, intellection, have to find out what are the
obstacles on the way what is blocking them from grasping, understanding and
assimilating the non-dual truth.
Yoga is intended to remove the
hindrance in pursuit of truth such as sexual desire, worries, anxieties, desire
for wealth etc. and also to enable one to keep out from irrelevant thoughts
whilst making inquiry, analysis and reasoning.
All this has to be done before indulging in
pursuit of truth. Therefore yoga has only a negative value and is a preparatory
stage. Pursuit of truth starts from what is seen, i.e. the three states. Wisdom comes from both knowing the three
states and the formless witness of the three states.
To leave out one of these parts
is to prevent attainment of wisdom. "Who am I” is useful no doubt, it has
certainly a value in its place, and gives some knowledge of self as, the
Witness. But what about the witnessed? The three states are mere object to the
witness. It must also be looked at. If the witnessed (three states) is ignored,
then "Who am I” cannot give the full truth.
“Who am ‘I’” is yogic inquiry; not the spiritualistic; the
latter deals with the whole of life whereas the former deals with a part only.
"Who am I” inquiry limits
only to the physical entity, because there, is no person in truth but only in
the illusion of mystics. ‘It should be
"What is I?"
The question "Who am I” is a religious, not a spiritualistic
question. It is a most selfish one. It is on a par with "What shall I be
after death?" and "What shall I get in return for my good karma in
next life?" It is purely egocentric and it is based on the false self.
Only the people who are serious
in knowing the truth can lift their thoughts above ego and ask "What is
the mind?" All the three states put together make the soul, the innermost self, not merely
the ego questioning itself ''What is I.”
People are most interested in
themselves before they gets interested in the world therefore, the "Who am
I?" inquiry leads only to reveal half-truth. The “Who am I? – Inquiry is useful as a
first stage to show the illusoriness of ego and thus help seeker to get rid of
it. It helps the seeker to prepare him to consider the higher question: What is
the world, what is mind, what is “Self” the truth about which cannot be learnt
by those attached to their ego, with its prejudices against idealism, etc.
